Wrecked GX470 - Question (Photos) (1 Viewer)

[NashvilleLandCruiser]

I posted here not long ago about a lost battle my son had with the concrete pillar of a parking garage. The leads here were extremely helpful, and we fixed the damage ourselves. Well, about three weeks ago, he lost a battle with a gate in the school parking lot. This one's a bit worse. We have an appointment with a collision repair shop on the 28th, and we have dealt with our insurance in a semi-complex case of "Who was at fault?". Here is my main question for anyone kind enough to take a look at the photos: What specific mechanical components are in the area that seems to be damaged? The reason I ask is that the car will not go into gear at all, and the power steering has stopped working. We had the car towed from school to home, and it's basically beached in the driveway until it gets towed to the collision repair shop. When the car was impaled by the gate, there was a bunch of fluid that poured out into the parking lot (visible in the photo), and it's my guess that this was related to the power steering assembly that got destroyed.

Tennessee is a 75% state, and we are anticipating the vehicle being totaled. Regardless, we plan to fix everything and keep driving it, unless there is anything related to, say, the transmission (since it won't go into gear) that turns out to be crazy, crazy expensive.

Thanks for any ideas here as to what may be damaged specifically. Just trying to prepare ourselves.

 

[Rednexus]

Very sorry to hear about the collision.

I am betting the gate destroyed the power steering fluid reservoir and/or the lines, which are behind the P/S front headlight. With the reservoir destroyed, you'd have no fluid and lose power steering. The gate might have also hit the power steering pump.

The transmission fluid lines leading to the radiator also run through this area (passenger side of the radiator). They would have likely also been damaged/ripped off, causing the transmission to lose all of it's fluid and stop working. It also looks like there is a lot of fluid on the ground, which I am betting is a mixture of coolant, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid.

The good news is that if the GX was not driven/ran for very far, the transmission and PS system might still be OK. I would not try to start or drive it under any circumstances until it's repaired. Any time the engine is running your transmission (even in P) and the power steering will be running without fluid and causing damage.

I am also betting the radiator is ruined along with some of the A/C hard lines and the A/C condenser. The hard lines probably aren't available from Lexus so you'll need to find junkyard parts. It might have also damaged some of the accessories on the front of the engine (fan, throttle body), along with the air intake.

 

[NashvilleLandCruiser]

Very sorry to hear about the collision.

I am betting the gate destroyed the power steering fluid reservoir and/or the lines, which are behind the P/S front headlight. With the reservoir destroyed, you'd have no fluid and lose power steering. The gate might have also hit the power steering pump.

The transmission fluid lines leading to the radiator also run through this area (passenger side of the radiator). They would have likely also been damaged/ripped off, causing the transmission to lose all of it's fluid and stop working. It also looks like there is a lot of fluid on the ground, which I am betting is a mixture of coolant, power steering fluid, and transmission fluid.

The good news is that if the GX was not driven/ran for very far, the transmission and PS system might still be OK. I would not try to start or drive it under any circumstances until it's repaired. Any time the engine is running your transmission (even in P) and the power steering will be running without fluid and causing damage.

I am also betting the radiator is ruined along with some of the A/C hard lines and the A/C condenser. The hard lines probably aren't available from Lexus so you'll need to find junkyard parts. It might have also damaged some of the accessories on the front of the engine (fan, throttle body), along with the air intake.

Thanks for this - that's pretty thorough. I really appreciate it.

 

[sedonut]

As he has hit stationary objects twice within a very short period of having a drivers license, it might be time for him to start walking. A bicycle might be too dangerous for him.

I don't know about your driving record, but in 50 plus years of driving I have never hit a stationary object.

 

[NashvilleLandCruiser]

As he has hit stationary objects twice within a very short period of having a drivers license, it might be time for him to start walking. A bicycle might be too dangerous for him.

I don't know about your driving record, but in 50 plus years of driving I have never hit a stationary object.

You aren't wrong. He's had more time at home this summer than he anticipated to reflect on it all.

 

[NashvilleLandCruiser]

As he has hit stationary objects twice within a very short period of having a drivers license, it might be time for him to start walking. A bicycle might be too dangerous for him.

I don't know about your driving record, but in 50 plus years of driving I have never hit a stationary object.

Also, I'm a bit particular about wanting to get this one fixed, given the fact that it got me across the country and back last summer.

 

[sedonut]

Also, I'm a bit particular about wanting to get this one fixed, given the fact that it got me across the country and back last summer.

It looks on the surface like it can be repaired, and it should be. I wasn't saying that it should not.

 

[greenscobie86]

@Rednexus hit the nail on the head.

Sorry to hear about the collision, things happen.

 

[SteveH]

You have to (want to?) fix this yourself, based on what a shop will quote.

 

[HomersCanyonero]

Here’s an idea…with the money you make from the insurance….get an aftermarket front bumper, rock sliders, and a rear aftermarket bumper…the new armored gx470 is now ready for more battles against other objects.

That’s why I did when I gifted my 80 series to my son his senior year in high school. Luckily, he only had a fender bender with a Honda Civic and you know who won that battle.

 

[Rednexus]

My 4 and 7 year old are already fighting over who gets my GX as their first car . By then it will be old enough to be a trail rig and will be armored up pretty well, hopefully.

In all seriousness, I think they key to fixing this GX will be to find one in a junkyard that was hit from behind, hopefully in the same color (silver is common so it's possible). I am guessing there is an easy $10K in damage to the vehicle, maybe a lot more. I know you cannot get some of the AC hard lines from Lexus (I looked when I put a pinhole in mine). Some of the other parts, like the core support, inner fenders, headlights, etc, are pretty expensive new, and paint is also pretty expensive. It also may have done some damage to the wiring, which could be spliced and fixed. Or just get different colored pieces and let it be a beater.

Otherwise, you might be better off financially to either let insurance take it (thereby putting it in a salvage yard and letting it give life to other GX's) or parting it out yourself online (much more work but you can probably make quite a bit of money).